


the choice

by endzone



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Choices, Confusion, Difficult Decisions, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Love Triangles, M/M, Moving On, Mutual Pining, Pain, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endzone/pseuds/endzone
Summary: We are all searching for the one.But what if Doyoung has two of them?
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung & Suh Youngho | Johnny, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 14
Kudos: 50





	the choice

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! 
> 
> Hi. This fic has a very upsetting event that i dont wanna spoil but i just wanna warn you that it may or may not trigger you. So pls dont read if you think you cant handle it.
> 
> but if you've chosen to read it, i hope u enjoy

We are all searching for _the one_. 

But what if there's two of them? 

Kim Doyoung had known Johnny since they were children. They had basically grown up together; and in all those years, he had always been there for Doyoung. He was the Patrick to his Spongebob, the Flounder to his Ariel, the Chandler to his Joey.

Whenever Doyoung achieved something in his life, Johnny would surely be the first to know and he would praise him for doing well. It was just one of the many things that made Doyoung fall in love with his best friend. 

“I got the part!” Doyoung said as he ran towards Johnny, the latter beamed at him from the their highschool's exit. He had been patiently waiting for the younger the whole afternoon. 

“I knew it! I told you you'd get it, congratulations!” Johnny exclaimed and Doyoung threw himself onto him. He wrapped his arms around the younger boy and lifted him in the air, not caring if people saw them. Because to him, the only thing that mattered then was his bestfriend getting his dream part in his favorite play. 

"I can't believe that I was so nervous for the whole month!” Doyoung said after Johnny had put him down on the ground, hair flying in all directions, cheeks hurting from smiling too hard. 

“See? What did I say? You'd be just wasting your time by worrying.” Johnny ducked and shook his head in fake disappointment, hands on his waist. “You know, you should listen to your best friend more often.”

Doyoung rubbed his chin, looking up at the ceiling. “Hmm. Jungwoo _did_ say that I should be more confident.”

“Hey! I'm talking about me!” 

“Oh! You were?” Doyoung scanned the taller boy from head to toe. “You don't look like bestfriend material though.”

Johnny's jaw dropped from the remark. He knew that Doyoung was joking but that somehow riled him up. “I endured many sleepless nights just to help you rehearse your part, dumbass!”

That made Doyoung double over in laughter, he couldn't help but feel giddy. It was true that Johnny had pretended to be Dorothy while he practiced his lines as the heart-seeking Tin Man, and Doyoung was thankful for all of his time and effort to help him. But he found it fun to mess with his bestfriend, just like Johnny found it fun to mess with him too. “I'm just kidding, Johnny. Chill. Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it.”

“You're welcome.” Johnny beamed. “When I watched that open audition though, I really saw that among all the others, you really were the best Tin Man, and I'm not being biased or anything. They all _sucked_.”

“Hey, don't say that out loud! People might hear!” Doyoung nudged him and looked around. Thankfully, the buzzing students around them were still carrying on with their own lives. 

“What? I can't say that you sucked a little bit less than them?” 

Doyoung rolled his eyes and grabbed Johnny by the arm, dragging him out of their school. “Let's go home before you somehow accidently convince the school to kick me out of the play.”

Halfway through the courtyard, Johnny was still being dragged by Doyoung but he decided to lean back towards the school and yell, “Doie would've been the perfect Wicked Witch of the West!”

He yelled in pain when Doyoung decided to bite his forearm. 

Doyoung was _terrified_ of animals. He trembled in fear whether it was a tiny squirrel eating nuts on his front lawn or a huge tiger sitting peacefully at their local zoo. Thankfully, with all of Doyoung's encounters with the animal kingdom, Johnny was there to protect him from the non-existing dangers that awaited.

They liked to hang out in the park, enjoy the warm summer breeze, sit in their spot under the shade of their favorite willow tree, and just talk about anything and everything. 

It was their last summer before they graduated high school and they decided that it will be the best summer of all time. On that particular day, they were playing around with a frisbee.

“First to drop the frisbee gets a flick in the forehead!” Johnny threw the red disc toward the younger's direction. 

They have been playing for a few long minutes now and Doyoung is covered in sweat. The sun was beating down on them and his lungs were already burning. Upon hearing Johnny's proposition, he felt a surge of energy crawl through his body, there was no way he would get flicked by Johnny. 

But as if whatever gods are up in the sky wanted Doyoung to lose, a blood-thirsty gremlin flies right in front of him, taking the red disc that was about to meet his hand. The energy that ran through Doyoung was replaced by adrenaline as the four-legged creature barked. It was a dog, obviously, and it wasn't even barking aggressively; more like barking excitedly because he wanted to join their game. 

But it was enough for Doyoung to run across the grass and jump into his friend's arms. 

“Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!” He yelled at the top of his lungs, making the said boy to laugh hysterically and wince in pain at the same time because Doyoung was screaming into his ear. 

“God, calm down, Doie!” Johnny chuckled while adjusting his hold on his friend. The dog, a chihuahua, was in front of Johnny, with the frisbee in between its teeth. It was looking up at them, barking. “It's just a chihuahua. Look at him, he's so tiny and cute.”

“ _Just_ a chihuahua?! Didn't anybody tell you that they're the worst kind?” Doyoung decided to take a peek and look at the monster below them, the chihuahua let out another fit of barks at the sight of Doyoung's face which caused him to tense up and tighten his grip on Johnny. “Look at it! The frisbee is practically bigger than itself and yet it can still hold it. Who knows what injuries it can inflict with those strong jaws?”

“Oh my god, I'm so sorry!” A cute girl with pig tails, around ten-years-old came running from behind them. “She doesn't bite I swear! She just likes to play with people very much.”

The girl crouched down and held back her dog that was still barking. She snatched the frisbee from its mouth and placed it by Johnny's feet. Johnny chuckled and smiled at her for reassurance, “No it's absolutely fine!”

The girl laughed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head. “She likes to run off all the time and honestly, she's such a handful!”

“What's her name?”, asked Johnny.

“Oh. My baby's name is Boo.” 

“Well, nice to meet you, Boo. My baby's name right here is Doie.” Johnny nodded at Doyoung, still grasping for life in his arms. Doyoung glared at him but his words made his heart skip a beat. He can feel his cheeks warming up. “He can be a handful too. Literally.”

The little girl laughed. Doyoung slapped Johnny's chest lightly and let himself down on the ground but immediately situating himself behind the taller boy, using him as a human shield. 

The girl picked up the red plastic disc and her dog. She handed the frisbee to Johnny. He accepted it with a smile and the girl spoke, “We gotta go now, I'm sorry for bothering you.”

“It's completely fine.” 

“Well, the little gremlin almost ate–” Doyoung muttered under his breath but Johnny cut him off right away. 

“Bye bye!” Johnny waved as the girl walked away with Boo in her arms. When the girl and her dog disappeared from their view, the two best friends heard another loud bark from across the park which prompted Doyoung to climb on to Johnny again. 

Doyoung looked around frantically and as it turns out, the source of the bark was nowhere near them. 

“Doyoung, you can't just jump into my arms every time you hear dogs barking.”

“Of course I can! You're my bestfriend, it's your job to protect me from all danger.”

Johnny rolled his eyes and chuckled at his ridiculousness. “Okay, _baby_ , I promise.” 

“Good. I'll remember that promise." Doyoung grinned, but he can feel warmth growing in his cheeks, "and stop calling me that!"

“Okay, baby, but my arms are getting tired and my elbows are starting to hurt now.” Johnny said and Doyoung realized that he's still in the older's arms, despite the fact that there are no dogs in sight.   
  
Johnny once carried him on his back for more than an hour when Doyoung got too drunk at a party. He found it weird that he was getting tired already, but then again, they had been playing in the park for hours now. Doyoung dismissed it as the fatigue from their day in the park. He shuffled and let himself off of Johnny, clearing his throat and his cheeks burning. 

Doyoung's heart was racing and it felt weird…and embarrassing. But somehow, it was completely fine... because it was Johnny. Everything was completely fine with Johnny, even if his feelings and emotions were being jumbled up in his heart. 

—  
Lee Taeyong, on the other hand, is new to Doyoung's life. But he made it his priority to make Doyoung happy, whether it benefited him or not. 

In the middle of Doyoung's second semester of his junior year in college, he struggled with a project. He honestly didn't see the point of adding drawings and sketches into the presentation because his program wasn't even in any way related to the arts, but that was what their professor required. Thinking about it made his skin crawl with anger.

He had been working on his drawings for almost a week now and his progress was close to nothing. To say that Doyoung was frustrated would be an understatement. He felt useless; and thinking about the nearing anniversary of the moment that he felt most useless made it harder for him to focus. 

He was staring at the blank sheet of paper in front of him with dozens of crumpled paper scattered all around the table, unaware that he was fuming and grinding his teeth, loud enough for Taeyong to notice. 

“Doyoung,” Taeyong tried out his name, gentle and soft. He reached for Doyoung's hand and held it in his own, not knowing the effect it had on Doyoung. Immediately, the younger felt lighter, like he had been carrying a whole bag filled with bricks the whole day and Taeyong had just taken half of it for himself. “You know that I can help you with that project right? I'm good at drawing.”

Doyoung can feel Taeyong's thumb rubbing circles on the back of his hand and it sent waves of warmth in his body. He looked at Taeyong with a pout, “I know... but I don't want to emburden you. You already have enough shit on your plate.”

“Trust me, Doyoung.” Taeyong looked at him, earnest. Doyoung saw the light in his eyes, millions upon millions of stars waiting to be gazed upon. “You could _never_ be a burden to me.”

The silence of the library that they were in was no match for the blood that was rushing in Doyoung's ears. And Doyoung believed him, Taeyong and his honest eyes. “Are you sure you're okay with it?” He asked, giving Taeyong the last opportunity to back out. 

Taeyong smiled, beautiful and sincere. He nodded and gave Doyoung's hand a light squeeze. “As long as you're happy.”

Later that evening, Doyoung brought Taeyong to a local 24-hour diner because Taeyong had finished the project that the younger had been working on for a week in only just a few hours, brilliantly at that.

Doyoung was supposed to be there to treat the older as a thank you for helping him out but when the waitress approached with the bill, he realized that he didn't have enough money in his wallet. So Taeyong decided to pay for the both of them, much to Doyoung's embarrassment. 

“Thank you for the help and the food.” Doyoung said shyly as they strolled through the peaceful chaos of the sleeping city, their hands brushing from time to time. “I swear I'm going to pay you back.”

Taeyong chuckled, looking over at the younger boy. “I told you already. You don't have to pay me back.”

Doyoung was kind of exasperated. “But why? I just want to thank you!” He whined.

“Because,” Taeyong stared at him with those honest eyes that was filled with constellations and their hands brush against each other; they linger for a few seconds. A few sweet seconds. “Like I said earlier, I'm okay as long as you're happy.”

—  
Doyoung had a special connection with Johnny. He knew Doyoung through and through, like he was the back of his hand; like he was his favorite song that he knew how to sing by heart. 

So when his birthday came around, Doyoung found himself blindfolded outside his house in the cold air of the night. Johnny had placed his hands securely on his sides, guiding him to wherever. Judging by the general direction that Johnny was directing him, Doyoung could tell that he was leading him to his house, which was just next door.

“Ow! Stop squeezing too hard, I have a bruise there!” Johnny chuckled beside him. Doyoung was holding onto one of his arms for security. 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were that sensitive.” Doyoung's words oozed with sarcasm and he just felt Johnny laugh softly beside him. 

Johnny brought him to a stop and took the blindfold off of his eyes. “Surprise!”

Even if he knew that Johnny led him to his house, he was still surprised by the sight that greeted him. They were in the front lawn of the Seo's residence and they were facing the garage. Johnny's car was parked on the driveway and not the garage, where it should be. The garage door was closed and Doyoung peered closer to see that there's a white cloth — a blanket, maybe?— draped over it. 

But what surprised him the most was the projector on the hood of the car and what it was projecting. It showed a picture of the two of them, smiling like idiots, hands around each other in a celebratory hug. It was taken after their highschool graduation. On the top of the picture, Johnny had edited the words: "Happy Birthday Doyoung!" in gold letters. 

“Happy birthday, Doie.” Johnny muttered beside him. Doyoung turned and saw the older looking at him intently, a gentle smile plastered on his face. Johnny's hand encased his and he felt his heart flutter inside his chest. Hand holding was normal for them, but the way that Johnny held his in that moment —Doyoung didn't know the reason why— was different. As if Johnny had a secret and he's only sharing it with Doyoung's hand. 

“Come on, let's get in.” The older held the door of the passenger's seat open for Doyoung. Once he situated himself on the driver's seat, he asked, “Do you like it?”

“Yes it's like a—”

“A drive in cinema. You always said that you wanted to experience watching a movie in one... so I thought that I'd make one just for you.” Johnny explained and he couldn't help but to melt on the inside. Johnny always did that for him. Doyoung would always say the most random shit to him and he would remember them. Of course Doyoung didn't expect him to remember them because it was all mostly just word vomit, information that he wanted to share. But Johnny always paid attention, and when he can, he would do them for his best friend. 

“We're going to watch your favorite movies. Oh and I also have your favorite food in the back.” Johnny prepared the laptop that was connected to the projector. While his best friend prepared the movie, Doyoung turned his attention to the backseat where a lot of food were sitting; and Johnny was right, he did have all of Doyoung's favorite food. 

There was Barbeque Lay's, Sour Cream Pringles, a Lucky Charms cereal box, cinnamon rolls, and there was a large box of pizza. Doyoung reached forward and opened the box and he smiled to himself. It was a hawaiian pizza, his favorite of course, but the reason why he's smiling is that Johnny made the effort to pick all the pineapple slices from one side and put them on the other side. Doyoung's side. He knew that the younger loved pineapple on pizzas (Johnny hated them and they used to argue which one of them was right but they eventually realized that their different views actually benefited the both of them.)

“All of your favorites with your favorite person.” Johnny said when Doyoung brought the pizza box to the front. “I _am_ your favorite person, right?”

Doyoung looked down at his lap, smiling. His cheeks aching because he was smiling too hard. Deep down, Doyoung knew the answer; but instead, he said, “I don't know, maybe?”

Johnny scoffed and turned back to the laptop, pressing play and La La Land starts playing on the makeshift screen in front of their car. “I'll take that as a yes.”

By the end of their third movie(The Notebook), Doyoung was lightly snoring, head resting on Johnny's shoulder. The older woke him and told him that he has to bring him back to his house. Doyoung whined, not wanting to be disturbed from his sleep. (“Why can't I just stay over at yours?” “I can't let you, I promised your parents that I'd get you home tonight.”)

After making sure to tuck the birthday boy in his bed, giving him a soft kiss on the forehead, Johnny whispered, “Goodnight, Doie.” 

“I love you.” Doyoung whispered in a sleepy haze. It caught Johnny offguard. He knew that the sleeping boy wouldn't be able to remember saying that but he replied anyway, “I love you too.”

That was why Johnny sneaked out of Doyoung's house at exactly 1:03, completely out of breath.

—  
With Taeyong, somehow, Doyoung had gotten to know himself more. 

Doyoung is a brave man. He once stood up against his scariest professor for being too harsh on one of his classmates, he once went through a haunted house alone because of a bet, and he even shaved his hair off to show support for a close friend that was diagnosed of cancer; but when it came to animals, Kim Doyoung is a coward, through and through.

So when Taeyong invited him over to his apartment on a peaceful autumn day, Doyoung was hesitant that he wouldn't enter his house unless Taeyong's dog, Ruby was put on a leash.

“Fuck no. MmmMmm. Nope.” Doyoung slammed the apartment door once Taeyong entered and he heard a bark. 

The door cracked open and Taeyong peered out. “Doyoung, come on. I swear she doesn't bite. She's an angel.”

As if on cue, Doyoung heard a growl from the other side of the door. A wave of fear goes through him and he took a step back. “She just growled! Fuck no. Not today, Satan.”

“It's because she doesn't know you yet! She's a good girl once she's all warmed up around you.” Taeyong argued. 

Doyoung just stood there, leering at the older. “Come on, I can't let you stand there all day.”

“Fine but you have to put her on a leash, or else I go home.”

“Fine.” Taeyong sighed, but amusement is definitely present in his voice.

A few moments later, Doyoung found himself sitting on Taeyong's couch, staring at Ruby who is tied to a table, a few meters away from him. Doyoung couldn't let his guard down even if the canine is on a leash, so he kept his eye on her; surprsingly, Ruby stared back at him. So they were sitting there, facing each other, in an unofficial staring contest.

Taeyong chuckled from the kitchen fridge, grabbing bottles of water for the both of them. “Oh my god, Doyoung. Calm down, she's already on a leash.”

“Nope, I won't. Animals are evil. They're all out to get me.” Doyoung crossed his arms stubbornly. 

“Okay. Come here.” Taeyong made his way to him and grabbed his hand. He dragged him over to Ruby's direction and Doyoung immediately broke away. 

“What do you think you're doing?” He said, taking a step back. 

“I'm going to introduce you to her and prove to you that she's a good girl and that animals aren't out to get you.” Taeyong put a hand on his hip. 

“No.”

“Doyoung." Taeyong held out a tentative hand for him. "Do you trust me?”

“You know I do, but—” 

“Then I hope you know that I won't let anything harm you.” Taeyong cut him off. He looked at Doyoung with his big puppy dog eyes that had an honest glint to them. It was unfair, but Doyoung took his hand anyway. 

Taeyong brought them in front of Ruby. They took a seat just a few centimeters away. She was wagging her tail, asking for attention from her owner. 

“Hello, Ruby.” Taeyong greeted with a soft voice. The dog barked back, probably saying hello too. It made Doyoung flinch. He was shaking. Taeyong noticed and so he held Doyoung's hand once again, comforting him.

“This is Kim Dongyoung. My friend.” Taeyong turned back to Ruby and gestured at Doyoung as he spoke. The dog barked again, causing Doyoung to tighten his grip on Taeyong's hand. 

The older rubbed comforting circles on the back of his hand, and it worked; it always worked on Doyoung. It was a simple gesture, little shapes being drawn on his hand; but Taeyong was drawing a universe, wherein the two of them were safe and sound. Always safe. “It's okay, she's just saying hello.”

“Oh.” Doyoung let out a shaky breath. “Hello, Ruby. It's n-nice to meet you.” 

Taeyong gave him a soft encouraging smile and turned back to his dog. “Now, Ruby, Doyoungie here is scared of animals. Like you.”

Doyoung just sat there, observing Taeyong and his dog. The older boy talking to Ruby as if she understood every word that he is saying, and honestly, it looked like she did. "Doyoungie is nice. He cooks food for me sometimes, and it's really tasty. Remember that delicious beef that I fed you last week? Yes, he cooked that. He's really good at singing too, rumor has it that he's got the voice of an angel. He tutors me a lot because he's very smart and responsible! I probably would've dropped out of college by now if it weren't for him. So I need you to be nice to him okay? He's our friend. We love him."

Doyoung's heart pounded faster than it ever had in his whole life. It was too much for him, holding Taeyong's hand and seeing him talk to his dog with a soft voice that adults tend to use when they talk to babies. And his actual words were too much for him too. Words that Taeyong never said out loud to him before. Sentences that Doyoung never knew existed in Taeyong's mind. 

Taeyong turned to him with a blinding smile and his breath hitched in his throat. “Do you think you can try to pet her? It's okay if you can't. I don't want to force you do anything that you don't want to.”

“I want to try.” Doyoung nodded, courage bloomed in him.

“Okay.” Taeyong lifted his hand that he was holding and brought it near Ruby's head. The dog looked up at his hand, sniffing. Doyoung gulped. “Are you ready?”

Doyoung nodded and slowly, Taeyong lowered his hand onto Ruby's furry head. She didn't bite, or bark, or growl at Doyoung; and the thought made him happy. Taeyong guided his hand and rubbed Ruby's head with both their hands. Soon enough, Taeyong took his hand away and Doyoung was petting Ruby all by himself. 

He looked over at Taeyong while he continued to pet Ruby, who started to lick his hand. Doyoung's heart filled with happiness and he was smiling like he had won the lottery. It was the first time that he had touched an animal in many years. He felt proud of himself and he felt thankful for Taeyong. “See, she's not that bad. And look at you, you're braver than what you think you are. You just conquered your fear.”

Someone promised Doyoung that he would protect him from his fears. But Taeyong, on the other hand, taught him that he was brave enough to conquer them. 

—  
“Johnny?” 

“Hmm?” Johnny faced him. They were on the rooftop of one of their university's buildings, leaning over the ledge and gazing at the horizon where the sun had sunk just a few minutes ago.

“Do you believe that with all the people in the world,” Doyoung started and faced his bestfriend, “there's one that's destined for you?”

Johnny took his time thinking while staring at Doyoung. So he took his time appreciating Johnny's visuals. The soft glow of the fading light from the absent sun shining on all of his features, soft and sharp at the same time. His eyes reflecting the beauty of the world around them. He looked beautiful in the twilight. 

“Of course I do.” Johnny said. He leaned forward and looked at Doyoung with the intensity of a thousand black holes. “Actually, I'm looking at him.” 

Doyoung felt his whole face burn up and he was pretty sure that his ears were turning red too. He stared down at his feet when he knew that he couldn't stop the smile that was creeping onto his face. The butterflies in his stomach turned into fighter jets that that were shooting bullets at each other. And when he looked up again, he saw Johnny still looking at him with a fond smile. 

Doyoung punched him lightly on the shoulder because it was unfair that he wasn't in any way flustered by what he had just said. “You fucking sap.”

—  
“Doyoung?” Taeyong called his name. They were walking side by side, on their way to Taeyong's apartment after a study session at the library. 

“Yeah?” Doyoung replied as he stared at the traffic light counting down to zero across from them. It is currently at 29.

“With all the people in the world,” Taeyong spoke, facing him. “Do you believe that each one has somebody that's destined for them?”

“Huh?” Doyoung's mouth went dry. It was all too familiar, he had heard those words before. Coming from his own mouth. “Why do you ask?”

Doyoung didn't know if he wanted to hear Taeyong's next words. A part of him wanted to hear, because with all the wonderful things that Taeyong did for him, he knew that it all meant something, behind his actions were words that were unspoken; and he would very much want to hear those words. Another part of him wanted to hear none of it, because the guilt would eat at him, piece by piece. 

“Because I didn't used to,” Taeyong paused and looked at Doyoung. The latter looked at Taeyong and he could see all the light from the passing cars dancing on his face. His eyes reflected the lights too, but they looked more like burning embers waiting to set Doyoung on fire. Taeyong smiled softly and said, “until I met you.”

Time stopped for Doyoung as his heart dropped to his stomach. Everything he did and _didn't_ want just happened, and he didn't know what to feel. His body was buzzing numbly but his chest was aching. He felt happy and yet it didn't seem fair, he felt like he didn't deserve to be, but he was. 

“Doyoung?” He realized that time didn't freeze and that the traffic light had reached zero. Taeyong was a few paces away into the pedestrian lane, face dusted in pink and smiling shyly. He held out a hand for Doyoung to take, “Come on, let's go.”

—  
It was hard, but Doyoung knew that it's time for him to make a choice. He had been loving two people for a while now and it was unfair of him. Even more unfair if he didn't let go of one. 

“Doyoung?” He heard Taeyong's voice as he sat across from him. Doyoung had invited him to the diner where he was supposed to treat the older after helping with his project. 

“Uhm... Taeyong.” Doyoung's voice was shaky. His breathing was uneven and he can feel his blood rushing in his veins. “First of all, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me.”

“I know that there's someone else in your heart.” Taeyong propped his arms on the table. Looking at Doyoung with his soft and comforting eyes that he loved so much, letting him know that it's okay; he'll be okay. He won't hold anything against Doyoung because at the end of the day, he just wanted Doyoung to be happy, and that was enough for him. “I know he means a lot to you, and I understand if you don't—”

“Yes, I love him, and he means so much to me.” Doyoung cut him off, and it hurt. It hurt to say it out loud after so long, after three long years. He paused for a few seconds to collect himself, trying to prevent his tears from falling, and Taeyong patiently waited for him. “But you have a place in my heart now too, and everyday it grows bigger.”

Doyoung was ready to let go of the past. 

Seo Youngho, Johnny, Doyoung's best friend; died three years ago. He was diagnosed of acute lymphocytic leukemia, and by the time the doctors found it, it was already in the fourth stage and it was too late to do anything. They tried their best but the only thing they could do was to delay the sickness and give Johnny four more months to live.

Johnny was _the one_ for Doyoung. He was his best friend that always had his back, the boy who always cheered him on, the man who would protect him from everything that he feared, the person that knew him best; but he's gone now and Doyoung is ready to let him go. As much as his heart ached to do it, he had to. Johnny would've wanted him to be happy. So he decided to choose his happiness in the present; because as much as the past made him happy, it was now just a memory. But he promised to himself —and to Johnny— that he wouldn't let their happy memories make him sad ever again. 

“That was three years ago. I think it's time for me to move on.” Doyoung looked melancholic, he looked down at his hands and exhaled all of his extra baggage. He looked up and he saw Taeyong smiling softly.

“You mean...” Taeyong reached out a tentative hand across the table, eyes hopeful. “You're ready to love again?”

“Ready to love...” Doyoung smiled and took Taeyong's hand in his, and for the first time ever, he didn't feel guilty holding his hand. He felt happy and warm and right, as if Taeyong's hand held all the secrets of the universe that Doyoung had been dying to know. “You, Taeyong.”

We are all searching for _the one_. 

And maybe Doyoung was lucky enough to find two. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ok im sorry. But i hope this broke your heart, bc it broke mine.
> 
> Did you see my little hints? Like johnny getting tired easily and having joint pains? Him having bruises? Johnny getting breathless when he dropped off doyoung? Doyoung shaved his hair for a friend that had cancer.... Guess who that friend was?
> 
> So if its confusing... Johnny passed away in their first year of college. The last part with dy and ty in the diner was on their senior year. 
> 
> Im sorry if i didnt put major character death :( i didnt want to spoil it :(((
> 
> What are your thoughts on this? I would really like to know uwu so pls comment
> 
> Kudos are appreciated <3
> 
> Also this was inspired by my favorite ad by Jollibee... It's titled "Choice" and you can watch it on yt. 
> 
> twt: @nomindotae :))


End file.
